


Landing Action

by Uncle_Riko



Category: Love Live! School Idol Project, Love Live! Sunshine!!
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-17
Updated: 2017-11-17
Packaged: 2019-02-03 11:07:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12747084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Uncle_Riko/pseuds/Uncle_Riko
Summary: Riko was playing Romeo? Shy and reserved Riko? Playing stately, princely Romeo?





	Landing Action

**Author's Note:**

> tribute to the most fire episode of hey arnold

Offensively colorful posters lined the halls of the school, advertising Uranohoshi’s latest theatrical performance. Yoshiko felt bad for the poor souls roped into helping Chika out with the school play – or perhaps Chika, in her usual burst of enthusiasm, put up all the posters herself? Why the school elected her of all people to direct the school play in the first place, Yoshiko hadn’t the faintest idea. But frankly, she could care less. It’s not like she wanted to be a part of the play, or anything. After all, acting wasn’t her style, all of her so-called “theatrics” were _real,_ not for show, nor anyone else’s entertainment. But of course, she’d be in attendance when the curtain rose, if not to support her friends, then to take in the, no doubt, _unique_ adaptation of Romeo and Juliet that Director Chika was to bring to the stage.

Yoshiko walked aimlessly into the clubroom, seemingly interrupting an early-morning feud.

“C-Chika-chan!” Riko wailed. “I only auditioned because you said you’d give me a minor role!”

“Oh come on, Riko-chan, Romeo _is_ a minor role!”

“He’s the title character, you idiot! Have you even read the play??”

Yoshiko snickered discreetly. Riko was pretty cute when she was angry, especially at the ever-clueless Chika. _But wait a second._ Had she heard Chika correctly? _Riko_ was playing _Romeo_? Shy and reserved Riko? Playing stately, princely Romeo? Yoshiko could already feel the sweat beading down her forehead. Was it not just last night that she dreamt of an ikemen Riko, sweeping her off her feet, dragging her down into the depths of hell so they could spend the rest of eternity being gay together? Was this the universe’s way of making fun of her? Or perhaps, it was rewarding her?

“I-I can’t play Romeo…” Riko sulked, “t-there’s so many lines to remember, a-and then there’s the whole kissing scene, and—"

“Eh?” Chika tilted her head in confusion, “There’s a kissing scene?”

“So you _didn’t_ read the play—”

“Ah, Yoshiko-chan!” Chika sheepishly changed the subject, the two second-years finally noticing Yoshiko standing awkwardly in the doorway. “What do you think about Riko-chan playing Romeo?”

“W-What do _I_ think?” Yoshiko’s eyes met Riko’s, the redhead silently pleading with her. _Sorry, Lily-chan._ “…I-I think Riko would make an excellent Romeo—”

“Yoshiko!?”

“W-What? E-Everyone’s thinking it! You’d excel at the handsome prince role…!” Perhaps she was being selfish, so what? The world would soon be in Yohane’s indebtedness when Riko graced the stage as the finest, most handsome Romeo they’d ever seen.

Riko’s cheeks puffed out in anger. Though it was hard to look mad with such an embarrassing red hue to her cheeks. She stormed out of the clubroom, as exaggeratedly and angrily as she could muster. Chika passed a wink on to Yoshiko, giving her a cheeky thumbs up.

Yoshiko could only roll her eyes in response. But with that little development, things were getting quite interesting indeed. The only question remaining…who was to be the Juliet to Riko’s Romeo?

“C-Chika-chan…” Yoshiko uttered, “I changed my mind, I-I want to be in the play!” She cornered the orange-haired girl, looming over her, not about to accept “no” as an answer.

“Eh? Oh, I’m sure I can find a role for you—”

“I-I want to play Juliet…!” Ugh, she could hear the desperation in her own voice.

Chika, however, seemed oblivious. “Juliet? Sorry, I actually cast her already!”

“What!? Who??” Yoshiko pinned Chika to the wall, mentally bracing herself. No matter who it was, the thought of a mortal being locking lips with her Lily was simply unbearable.

Chika remained unfazed, “You-chan!”

Well shit _._ Not only was You super pretty and popular, but practically half the school was shipping her and Riko together, whereas, in the race to win Riko’s affection, Yoshiko was hardly a blip on the map. But still, that wasn’t a reason to give up. Riko was her little demon – they had a contract of loyalty, after all. And what kind of demon would Yoshiko be if she didn’t fight for one of her own, hold up her end of the deal?

“…T-Theoretically, w-what if You-chan can’t perform?” Yoshiko twiddled her thumbs. “C-Can I take her place as Juliet?”

“Eh? Hmm, I suppose so? But I don’t see why she wouldn’t be able to perform…”

That was all she needed to hear – the wheels were turning already. Yoshiko could always play dirty, maybe try to subvert the role from You? Or maybe she could just be straight with her. They were bros, right? Blizzard Bros – surely You would understand that the only way for Yoshiko to fulfill the aching desire in her heart was under the guise of some silly school play (because that made _far_ more sense than just asking Riko out). _But_ , in order for You to fully understand the predicament she was in, Yoshiko would have to admit her feelings for Riko out loud, _to another human being_. If she could will herself to do _that_ much, maybe she didn’t need the role of Juliet as pretext in the first place.

“Oiii, Yoshiko-chan!” Chika waved through a blank stare, Yoshiko’s inner monologue apparently taking far too long. “If you really want to be a part of the show, I can have you be costume designer? With You-chan playing Juliet and Ruby-chan playing Friar Laurence we don’t really have anyone to do the costumes.”

Costume designer, huh? Wait _, Ruby_ was playing Friar Laurence? _Interesting_. A-Anyways, Chika’s offer, little did she know, was most opportune for Yoshiko, who let an evil laugh slip as the beginnings of a plan took shape in her mind.

“I’ll do it!”

 

* * *

 

It wasn’t a surprise that Chika cast her two best friends as the lead roles, but in the end, Yoshiko really couldn’t argue with her choices. She’d already made her feelings clear about Riko playing Romeo, and, if she wasn’t currently playing the role of jealous, lust-driven thespian, Yoshiko would be the first to admit that You would’ve made an excellent Juliet. There’s no doubt she’d put on a better performance than Yoshiko herself, but that was beside the point. This was about _Riko and Yoshiko_ , not Romeo and Juliet. So, for Yoshiko to ascend to the lead role, You, unfortunately, had to go down. And tucked inside her bag was the key ingredient to staging her coup.

 “You-chan! Congrats on landing the lead role!” Yoshiko ambushed the second-year at her locker, giving her a forceful pat on the back.

“Hm? Ah, thanks, Yoshiko-chan…!”

Yoshiko got straight to the point, “Chika-chan put me in charge of costume design, so I thought I’d come show you what I got so far for Juliet’s wardrobe!”

“Huh? O-Oh, sure.”  

Yoshiko could hear the hesitance in You’s voice. _Perfect._ She and Yoshiko both knew the fallen angel’s fashion sense was, to put it lightly, _eccentric_ , and her coordination with a needle and thread was, to put it not-so-lightly _, nonexistent_.

“Behold!” Yoshiko whipped out The Creation from her bag. It was a dress, unsightly in color, browns and puke-greens sloppily stitched together. The edges were frayed and of mismatched lengths, tears and holes littering the fabric. Anyone with eyes could see it was an outfit more fitting of Cinderella than Juliet. But that was precisely the aim. Yoshiko _had_ made the dress herself, even spending quite a few days on it. Any other day and she might be offended by the obviously disturbed look on You’s face. But today, her lackluster patchwork skills could only do her good. This perhaps, might be entirely _too_ easy.

The second-year stifled, to the best of her ability, a look of absolute horror. As the lead designer for Aqours’ live wear, she wouldn’t be caught dead in something so horrendous, nor did she dare think of what other ungodly garments awaited her and the rest of the cast.

“So, what do you think?” Yoshiko grinned sheepishly, trying her best to suppress the urge to cackle at You’s pained expression.

“It’s um…welllllll…”

“I know I’m not the _best_ designer in the world, but I mean, no one else would take the job so, what can ya do, ya know?”

“…No one?” You’s widening eyes didn’t go unnoticed by Yoshiko.

“I’m as surprised as you! I’d be the _last_ person I’d choose to be head of wardrobe, am I right? Oh well, we’ll simply have to make do!” Yoshiko shrugged her shoulders exaggeratedly. “I hope this is tolerable enough for your liking, You-chan!” She turned her back to the second-year, starting her walk (more like an exaggerated skip) down the hall, ever-mindful of You’s gaze, continuously burning a hole in the dress still clutched in her hands.

“…Y-Yoshiko-chan, wait! I-I’ve actually been wanting to do the costume design for the play! I-If you’re ok with it, I could take over for you!”

“R-Really?” Yoshiko faked a sniffle or two. “I couldn’t possibly burden you with this…b-but I must admit, it would be beneficial to the show…”

“I-I don’t mind one bit, really!”

“…W-Well, I guess you’ll have to step down from the lead role, huh…” Yoshiko’s sullen façade hid the backflips she was doing on the inside.

“Eh? Oh, that’s not necessary!” You reassured her. “I’ve almost got all the lines memorized, so my part as Juliet shouldn’t take up too much of my time outside of practice.”

“Huh? I-Is that so…?” Yoshiko’s ego immediately deflated. Damn it, You. Why did she have to be so perfect? Maybe she and Riko deserved each other after all…

 _No._ Yoshiko still had her trump card, her last resort. Desperate times call for desperate measures, right? And by now, she was way past desperate.

“…Y-You-chan…” Yoshiko tugged at You’s sleeve. For once, her somber demeanor wasn’t a cover-up.

“Y-Yeah? W-What is it…?”

Yoshiko paused, taking a deep breath. “…I _have_ to be Juliet in this play…”

The second-year was taken aback, surprised. “Eh? W-Why?”

Yoshiko’s eyes quickly darted away. “I-I can’t tell you, j-just trust me, ok!?”

“Yoshiko-chan, I can’t give you the role unless you have a reason you ‘need’ to play Juliet.”

Yoshiko’s head shot straight up. “Wait, you’d be willing to give me the lead role…?”

“Sure, why not?” You flashed a reassuring smile. “I mean, I’m thrilled Chika cast me as Juliet, but I think if I’m going make my mark on this play, I want it to be in the form of costume design, you know what I mean?”

“Y-Yeah, I guess so…”

“What’s so secretive that you can’t tell me? We’re bros, right? What is it, do you like Riko-chan or something? Maybe you want to play Juliet so you can kiss her?”

Yoshiko froze, her cheeks adopting a deep crimson hue. “W-What!? T-That’s not it at all…!”

“Ehhh, is that so? Because I’d gladly give you the role if you told me you liked her. I’d think it’s kinda romantic actually.”

“…R-Really?”

“Mhm. I mean, Riko-chan’s one of my best friends, it’d be a little awkward for _me_ to kiss her, don’t you think? But what am I even saying this for, you don’t even like her, so—”

“Wait.” Yoshiko reached for You’s arm, her eyes squeezed shut.

“Yes?” There was a not-so-subtle smugness to her tone.

“I…I like Riko…”

“Sorry?” she taunted, “I didn’t catch that.”

“I LIKE RIKO!” The stupid, knowing grin on You’s face did nothing to deter the cascade of bottled up emotions that spilled out of Yoshiko. “I’m over the moon, head over heels, _completely_ and _utterly_ in love with her, OK?!! B-But I can’t _p_ _ossibly_ tell her that! I-I can’t even be near her or talk to her anymore without having a panic attack, without being paranoid that she hates me or thinks I’m annoying or childish…M-My only chance to express my true feelings for her is…as Juliet…”

You sighed reassuringly, patting a flustered Yoshiko on the head. “I thought that might be the case. The role’s all yours, Yoshiko-chan.” The fallen angel’s eyes widened, laced with tears as she babbled incoherent words of gratitude. You smiled, snatching The Creation out of Yoshiko’s hands, exchanging it with a copy of the script. “Looks like we both have our work cut out for us, don’t we?”

 

* * *

 

Yoshiko peeked through the curtains at the buzzing auditorium; _of course_ the most crucial moment in her young life was to take place in front of a packed house. She had to hand it to Chika though, the girl definitely knew how to draw a crowd.

“Yoshiko-chan!” The aforementioned director bounded towards her star actress. “Hey, change of plans for the final kissing scene. Looks like we’re keeping it PG tonight, just a peck on the cheek.”

“W-What!?” The change certainly caught Yoshiko off guard. A kiss was a kiss sure, but on the cheek just wasn’t the same. “W-Whose idea was this…R-Riko’s??” The thought of her Romeo getting cold feet stung a little more than Yoshiko cared to admit.

“Eh, Riko-chan? Nah, it was the higher ups. I get Dia-san, but surely Mari would be a little more lenient, wouldn’t ya think?”

Yoshiko breathed a momentary sigh of relief. “W-Well, it doesn’t follow the original play at all! The whole point of the kiss is so Juliet can die from the poison on Romeo’s lips; it doesn’t really work if it’s a kiss on the cheek…”

“Yeah, I told them that too!” (That was rich coming from the girl who still hadn’t read the entirety of play, but still, Yoshiko appreciated the effort.) “But apparently it doesn’t matter, because there’s kids in the audience or something, and we have a reputation to uphold, you know, ‘school closing’ and all.” Chika sighed. “Oh well, it’s not like we practiced a kiss on the lips or anything, shouldn’t be too big a deal, right? Just give it your best shot, but make it look good, ok?”

 

...

 

Yoshiko took a deep breath. It was normal to feel this nervous, right? Truth be told, she was thrust into the role so late, she barely got a chance to practice her lines on her own, let alone on stage with the cast. Perhaps that was the source of her nerves? But all of her Yohane livestreams were improvised, on-the-spot, it’s not like this was unfamiliar territory for her.

Maybe she was just nervous to be standing on the same stage as Riko. Citing her lack of practice, in addition to being just a mess in general around her crush, Yoshiko had already anticipated some less-than-stellar on-stage chemistry between her and Riko. Up until now she assumed she could squeak by on her superior acting skills. Besides, it was the kiss that was the most daunting of tasks, and the admins had already done away with that, so what did she have to worry about?

Well, plenty apparently, as, despite the internal pep talk, as she prepared to enter stage, perched high in the balcony above, Yoshiko still felt her heart beating a mile a minute. Maybe this was all a mistake; she shouldn’t even be here, You should. Why should everyone else have to indulge her selfish little fantasy? It wasn’t right, it wasn’t fair to them, it wasn’t—

At that moment, a twinkle caught her eye as she exchanged the briefest of glances with Romeo down below. Riko offered her a reassuring smile and a wink for good measure. The glint in her golden eyes was confident, determined. She was prepared to give this performance everything she had. If Yoshiko was to stand on that stage alongside her, be a Juliet worthy of Riko’s Romeo, she’d have to do the very same.

 

_“O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?”_

 

...

 

As the dialogue poured between the star-crossed lovers, Yoshiko found herself becoming more relaxed, more at ease. She had no trouble with emotional inflection when every line, every word she said as Juliet, she also said as Yoshiko, in secret to Riko. From the enthusiasm and pure bliss that Riko seemed to be exhibiting in her performance, Yoshiko liked to think that she heard her.

So as the final scene approached, Yoshiko felt confident in her ability to close out the performance. Though a kiss on the cheek was less than she’d bargained for, there was already a warm, content feeling inside her after spending such enchanting moments on stage with the girl with which she was so enamored. It had been a magical night, the last thing she should be is disappointed because of some silly kiss.

 

_“What's here? a cup, closed in my true love's hand? Poison, I see, hath been his timeless end.”_

 

In Yoshiko’s arms lay an unconscious Romeo, eyes shut in anticipation of the kiss. Riko’s cheeks were dark red in color; it seemed, despite her gallant performance, she was still the same-old, flustered Riko after all. Yoshiko paused, ever so slightly, not for emphasis, nor the lack of lines at her disposal, but due to the glossy sheen of Riko’s lips. It caught her off guard; Riko hadn’t been wearing lip gloss in the previous scene, nor the scene before that, she was sure of it. Perhaps she wanted Yoshiko’s kiss not on the cheek but…elsewhere…No, no, no, she was imagining things. Riko made clear her apprehension regarding the kiss at the very beginning, back when…

Back when You was playing Juliet.

Yoshiko continued to stare longingly at Riko’s plump, kissable lips that taunted her so. In that moment, nothing else seemed to matter, not Mari nor Dia’s warning, not the audience, nothing. It was just her and Riko. In that moment her choice was not as an actor, or as Juliet, but as Yoshiko.

She gulped silently, announcing her intent. _“…I will kiss thy lips.”_ She leaned forward, half expecting some resistance, some sort of withdrawal from the poisoned prince, but Riko accepted Yoshiko’s kiss, their lips meeting, grasping on to each other for what seemed like an eternity. Amidst her haze, Yoshiko could’ve sworn she felt Riko’s lips contort into the slightest of smiles. The crowd was silent, in awe, the good or the bad kind, Yoshiko couldn’t tell. But it hardly mattered. She severed the kiss, picking up the dagger with moderate hesitation. It seemed unfit for Juliet to die upon such joyful circumstances.


End file.
